Bumperette trunk rack



May-12, 1931'. c. B. FRlTTs I 1,804,761

BUMPERETTE TRUNK RACK Filed Aug. 6, 1930 INVENTR, sr/ef MVX/'5,

I BY//ff/W//M Patented May 12, 1931 'Unirse s'rafrr.shi

CHARLES B. FRITTS, GF KANSAS CITY, -KANSAS BUMPEBETTE TRUNK RACKI Application filed. August 6, V4Serial N'o. 473,316.

This invention relates 'to luggage carriers particularly adapted for use in connection with automobiles and the primary yobject of invention is toprovide a rack which may be 'i5 `formed by using the well known bumperettes kof the automobile, together with a plurality of connecting bars which may be assembled with the lbu-mperettes after the same have been moved to project rearwardly of the 10 automobile and to positions substantially parallel to each other. Y

It lis one of the primary objects of the invention to provide a trunk rack for automobiles which may be formed by swinging the '15 bumperettes of the automobile about their pivotal connection adjacent one end thereof to a position where a number of connecting bars may be attached thereto to form a. support for a trunk or similar luggage.

Une of the salient featuresof the instant invention is the contemplation of a raclr for automobiles which may be made'up of the well lrnown and standard bumperettes which Aare suitably joined together `by a number of bars which act as supports for luggage which it is desired to carry.

A yet further object of the invention is'to provide means whereby the plurality of bars forming the trunk rack may be carried when the rack is disassembled and the bumperettes `a re positioned to serve as such.

Minor objects of the invention including specific details of construction will appear s.- duri-ng the courserof the specification refer-y ring to the accompanying drawings, wherein `Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rack` for automobiles using the bumperettes as end members in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the rack as shown in Fig. 1. j y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken ony line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the parts about to be assembled.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the receiving brackets for the bars which is used to support the same when the rack is disassembled.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the bars adjacent the receiving bracket looking toward the same, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detailview taken on line VIIQVII of Fig. 3. n

1With reference at this time to the preferred 55 form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1() indicates the well known'frame of an auto- 6U mobi lewhich supports the bumperettes r12.

ln the manufacture of devices embodying this invention it is desirable to form a hinge connection 11i for the bumperette 12 at the end of frame 10 which will-be strong enough to 55 support any reasonable load which may be placed upon the hereinafter described rack. Through the intermediacy of pin 16 l the bumperette 12 is allowed to swing from the normal*position vto the extended position as clearly yshown in Fig. 1. Braces 18 are oftentimes provided as apart of the bumperette structure and the "same are detachably secured to thetwo members of the bumperette 12 in many ways. In carrying out this in- 70 'vention it is desirableto have this connection formed ofr parts which are extremely easy to manipulate when detaching the braces 18 `and bumperettes 12;` After this connection has been broken by loosening the proper parts S0 the two bumperet-tes12 are swung to the eX- tended position to receive a plurality of bars 20, one of which is preferably formed of channel iron to rprovide a tie between bumperettes 12 which precludes undesirable swingin movement about the pin 16.

To provide the necessarymeans for attaching bars 20 to. the b-umperette member 12 v*slots 22 may be provided through bumperette 12 which are of a size suflicient to receive 90 the formed ends of bars 20. In the case of thebar 20-which is relied upon to secure rigidity the walls 24 of the same are cut away at the end to `form a notch 26 in each of said wallsrespectively, which notch receives that 9 portion of the bumperette 12 below the slot 22 as shown in Fig. 7. To preclude upward movement of bar 20, a locking device 30 is provided which is pivotally mounted thereon as at 28 so that the device may be swung into bars 2O which are notkformed of channelA slot 22 asshown in Figs. l and 7. The other metal are cut away to present a longitudinally extending tongue 32 which projects through the respective slot 22 to be held in such position by the bar which is formed of channel iron. Obviously, any number of bars 20 may be used in forming a rack of this character, but it is desirable to use only enough to provide ample support for the luggage without adding anymore weight than necessary to the assembled'rack. The outside bars 20 should be provided with strap slots 34 which may be used to receive straps of any kind adapted to secure the luggage in place on the rack.

lt is well known that the use of a trunk rack is comparatively rare and it is also known that when a folding trunk rack is eX- tended for usevit projects beyond the bumpern ettes which renders the same susceptible of. damage.' The bumperettes are practically valueless when the trunk rack is in use and it is with this thought in mind that the bumperettes are made a part of the trunkrack, when it is desired to attach such an accessory to the rear end of the automobile.

Manifestly, it is desired to have the parts of the trunk rack always accessible and to carry out this point of invention means have beeny provided for storing the bars 2O where they will not be in danger of damage nor in the way.

A pair of opposed brackets 36 carried by i .the frame l() of the automobile receive the ends of bars 20 as shown in Fig. 6. Each of the side Walls of these brackets 36 is formed to present a notch 38 into which may be moved the locking device which effectively secures the bars against displacement. One of themain features of the invention is the rela-- tive width ot the plain bars 2O and the channel bar which allows nesting as illustrated in Fig. 6. This form of storage insures protection' against dust and the novel locking device which cooperates with the structure when the bars 20 are in the rack forming position as well-as when in the stored rposition renders this speciiic form highly desirable, cheapto make and extremely durable.

The use of the swingable bumperettes 12 to orma trunk rack does not alter their strength or durability in any` manner. The invention is adaptable for use with practically :i any form of bumperette-and the rackmay be A secured by Letters Patent is 1. A rack of the character described having end members swingable to serve as bumperettes when the rack is disassembled.

2. A rack of the character described comprising end members, a plurality of bars Joining said members and detachably engaging the same and means swingably supporting the end members whereby the same may be moved to serve as bumperettes when the rack is disassembled.

3. A rack for automobiles comprising a pair of end Ymembers formed by swinging the bumperettes of said automobile to extend rearwardly, and a plurality of bars connect-l ing said end members.

4. A rack for automobiles comprising a pair of spaced apart end members, swingable to serve as bumperettes whenv the rack is disassembled, a plurality of bars detachably engaging said end members and means formed Y y by one of said bars to maintain said end members in the spaced relation.

5. A rack of the character described comprising a pair of spaced apart end members, a plurality of bars detachably connecting said end members and a locking device adja cent the end of one of said bars.

6. A rack of the character described comprising a pair of spaced apart end members, a plurality of bars detachably connecting said end members, one of said bars formed to maintain all of the bars against displacement when positioned out of the rack forming location.

7. A rack for automobiles comprising a pair of spaced apart end members formed by swinging the bumperettes of the automobile outwardlyv to relatively vparallelv positions, a pluralityof bars detachably connecting said end members, a pair of opposed brackets carried by the frame of the automobile to receive said bars when the rack is disassembled.

8. A rack for automobiles comprising a pair of spaced apart end members formed by swinging the bumperettes of the automobile outwardly to relatively parallel positions, a plurality of bars detachably connecting said end members, a pair of opposed brackets carried by the frame of the automobile to receive said bars when the rack is disassembled7 one of said bars vhaving a locking device to engage coacting parts of the bumperette and bracket respectively to maintain the plurality of bars against displacement when in either the operative or' inoperative position.

In testimony whereof, I hereuntol aix my si gnature.

Y CHARLES B. FRITTS. 

